<p>What do you guys think about putting a smiley face ":)" on my application?
it would go after a modestly rebellious comment.
I'm sure they never get them. Would it brighten their day?</p>
<p>Should I not do this? I kind of want to, but only because I'm feeling like a fish being swept away by the current and I must fight it!</p>
<p>thank you</p>
<p>Well…it’s very informal. I personally would never do that.</p>
<p>It all depends on the person reading your application. They might see it and smile, or they might see it and make a frowny face.</p>
<p>That said, it really probably won’t make any real sort of difference in the end. I wouldn’t do it, but if it fits with your application on the whole it could be fine. On the other hand though, I would tend to think that it would make less of an impression on the person who liked it than on the person who disliked it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would just worry that they might see you as being less professional. If the prior comment requires some kind of lightening, maybe you should rework it.</p>
<p>Don’t do it. While your essay may be light-hearted, a smiley is juvenile. Rather, show them that you are proficient enough with the written word to get your point across in the vein you intend.</p>
<p>Well it asks for “5 words to describe you”</p>
<p>and I put “I refuse to reduce myself to 5 words :)”</p>
<p>maybe I should expand on my reasoning and drop the smiley, although I feel that makes it less dramatic.</p>
<p>I think they’re going to reject you if you do that.</p>
<p>it shows I’m not a sheep</p>
<p>I can kinda think of five words to describe you, just based on your posts to this thread. And do you seriously think that using the most overused cliche of an ideograph that was stupid in the 1960s and still is will make you appear not to be a sheep? It just looks as if you think you’re more unusual than you are. The effect you’re going for is exactly the opposite.
You could always say “five words are not enough”, which has the virtue of rejecting the premise while satisfying it.</p>
<p>The words are fine. The smiley is not. These are adults and professionals reading your application. The smiley merely indicates that you do not believe in your response. If you don’t believe in it, don’t write it. If you do believe in it, stand by it.</p>
<p>fair enough. thank you Chedva for your insightful comment.
No more hiding behind the smiley</p>
<p>I have to say that I don’t like the words much, either. It’s not as though you’re the only one being asked to pick five words.</p>
<p>Uhm… that makes me nervous for your sake. </p>
<p>Make you should take a look at the “gimmicks on application” thread. If anything, your response ought to at least be five words.</p>
<p>
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<p>lol
10char</p>
<p>I would do it if you want to. If they won’t accept you just because you like to smile than to hell with them. ;]</p>
<p>I’m not disagreeing with the consensus here, but this is a topic worthy of discussion beyond OP’s application.</p>
<p>Written language has a limitation with regard to conveying tone – humor, sarcasm, etc. Live spoken communication allows for body language, inflection, and word choice.</p>
<p>The 
in internet communication has become pervasive precisely because it solves this traditional limitation in written communication… lest we be classified as Luddites, I think we need to find a way to embrace this internet convention into more traditional forms of writing.</p>
<p>Replying to DunninLA, on the converse side, allowing for emoticons has allowed people to become lazier in how they word things and allowed them to just ignore tone, instead opting for a smiley face. In my opinion, while emoticons are definitely useful, overuse or misuse signifies lack of ability to express oneself.</p>
<p>To DunninLA: The written word allows for extensive meditation while live communication does not. The drawbacks to both should essentially be equatable.</p>
<p>If you are a truly proficient writer, you should be able to convey your message and tone without the use of a smiley.</p>
<p>its a terrible idea. you are not special. if the admissions cant trust you to follow such simple directions how can they trust youll follow directions in college?</p>